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I've never commented on an author's English before, but why does this person write somewhat like Yoda? > In our opinion not ideal, this markup pattern.

I've never commented on an author's English before, but why does this person write somewhat like Yoda? > In our opinion not ideal, this markup pattern. > Not too scary, this markup. Is this an acceptable form of English grammar that I'm unfamiliar with? (I'm a native speaker, and this is an honest question.) Is he just trying to be playful with words?

maw 13y ago
It's a Commonwealthism. (I mean the British one, not Massachusetts.)
- vosper 13y ago
  I'm from New Zealand, and I've lived in London for a while too - I've rarely heard anyone speak this way, and certainly it wouldn't be considered correct to write like that.
nilliams 13y ago
Yep I think he literally wrote those 2 sentences in a Yoda-style, intentionally, for playful effect. Rest of article is well written, with above average attention to sentence structure.
itsameta4 13y ago
It's called topicalization, and it's more common in some dialects of English than others. It's especially common in urban areas of the US Northeast. I'm from Long Island, and I didn't even notice he'd done it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topicalization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topicalization
- gojomo 13y ago
  Interesting concept - I didn't know the word for this! Though, the examples atop the Topicalization article still have all the words necessary for a more traditional grammar, just out of order. As highlighted in this article, the author has also dropped the implied "is". I find this more common in spoken language, used by the speaker to inject a bit of variety and emphasis. I didn't realize it was a US-northeasternism, but I'm also not surprised to find in writing that's attempting an informal, spoken-word-like tone. It tends to set the observation off to the side, as if delivered in a different voice (stepping aside from the podium for a moment), or (as in some textbooks) like a comment printed in the side margin. To answer the GP's question, it seems acceptable to me in an informal 'chatty' context, but you probably wouldn't find it in an academic/historical/neutral-journalistic composition. (I didn't read it as a specific attempt to invoke Yoda-style-speech.)
Camillo 13y ago
> Not too scary, this markup. I find this one acceptable. > In our opinion not ideal, this markup pattern. This is very clumsy, perhaps even ungrammatical. The addition of "in our opinion" ruins it. However, please note that I am not a native anglophone.

maw 13y ago

It's a Commonwealthism. (I mean the British one, not Massachusetts.)

vosper 13y ago
I'm from New Zealand, and I've lived in London for a while too - I've rarely heard anyone speak this way, and certainly it wouldn't be considered correct to write like that.

nilliams 13y ago

Yep I think he literally wrote those 2 sentences in a Yoda-style, intentionally, for playful effect. Rest of article is well written, with above average attention to sentence structure.

itsameta4 13y ago

It's called topicalization, and it's more common in some dialects of English than others. It's especially common in urban areas of the US Northeast. I'm from Long Island, and I didn't even notice he'd done it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topicalization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topicalization

gojomo 13y ago
Interesting concept - I didn't know the word for this! Though, the examples atop the Topicalization article still have all the words necessary for a more traditional grammar, just out of order. As highlighted in this article, the author has also dropped the implied "is". I find this more common in spoken language, used by the speaker to inject a bit of variety and emphasis. I didn't realize it was a US-northeasternism, but I'm also not surprised to find in writing that's attempting an informal, spoken-word-like tone. It tends to set the observation off to the side, as if delivered in a different voice (stepping aside from the podium for a moment), or (as in some textbooks) like a comment printed in the side margin. To answer the GP's question, it seems acceptable to me in an informal 'chatty' context, but you probably wouldn't find it in an academic/historical/neutral-journalistic composition. (I didn't read it as a specific attempt to invoke Yoda-style-speech.)

Camillo 13y ago

> Not too scary, this markup. I find this one acceptable. > In our opinion not ideal, this markup pattern. This is very clumsy, perhaps even ungrammatical. The addition of "in our opinion" ruins it. However, please note that I am not a native anglophone.